July 13^th 1842

To the Colonial Secretary,

Sir

I have the honour to state for the information of his Excellency that the Stations to the North of the Brisbane are suffering considerably from the hostile proceedings of the Aborigines, who appear to be carrying out their vengeance in a very insidious manner by attacking any defenceless individual that may fall in their way. A Hutkeeper of Mr. Bigge was murdered a few weeks since and within these few days another of Mr Balfour’s; besides several other individuals have been attacked on their way from one station to another. In fact plunder does not appear to be so much their object as the destruction of life, which they effect by proceeding in small bodies without giving the least warning of their approach. In an attempt to take three of the most desperate characters, supposed to be the murderers of Mr. Bigge’s man, at Mr McConnel’s Station, a black named Commandant was killed & two others escaped wounded. I hope by the next Steamer to forward the depositions taken in regard to this affair to the Attorney-General.

Stephen Simpson

(Simpson, S. and Langevad, T., The Simpson Letterbook,/ transcribed by Gerry Langevad , Cultural and Historical Records of Queensland, no. 1, p. 3, Oct. 1979, SLQ S994.3007)